Losing Face

Korean-American photographer Argus Paul Estabrook believes that art should contribute to a greater understanding of our surrounding world, and he, as a photographer, has the responsibility to help present new perspectives and provoke critical thinking. While he’s best known for his street photography, Estabrook considers his work to be more a form of personal documentary rather than photojournalism. “Everyone who shoots on the street has a relationship with it,” he tells us. “They know what it means to be on a journey, searching for something yet not knowing what that might be.”

His photo series, Losing Face, offers a candid look inside the Seoul protests that arose from the revelation of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s scandal. Processed entirely in black and white, the powerful series uses slow shutter speeds and a bright flash to dramatic effect. Last year, the powerful series went on to win the prestigious Magnum Photography Award as well as the LensCulture Street Photography Awards.

“When the street leads me to an experience like the Seoul protests, I feel like my job is to zero in on the energy and then conceptualize it in a way that enables it to be reintroduced back into the world,” Estabrook explains of his process. “It’s like a creative circuit. I just try to keep my mind open, so whenever a moment moves me, I’m able to ‘describe’ it with my photography.”